


A Rather (Un)Usual Sort of Marriage

by laallomri



Series: Acing Literature [1]
Category: AUSTEN Jane - Works, Pride and Prejudice - All Media Types, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, F/M, ace darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 05:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7878601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laallomri/pseuds/laallomri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Lady Catherine has written yet again to inquire—”</p><p>“Pray do not speak to me of what Lady Catherine has said, William,” Elizabeth interrupted. “One shouldn’t have to endure her opinions at such an unreasonable hour as breakfast.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Rather (Un)Usual Sort of Marriage

“Lady Catherine,” said Darcy one morning, as he read through his correspondence over scrambled eggs and toast, “has written yet again to inquire—”

“Pray do not speak to me of what Lady Catherine has said, William,” Elizabeth interrupted, with a swift smile to soften the abruptness of her statement. “At least, not now. One shouldn’t have to endure her opinions at such an unreasonable hour as breakfast.”

Georgiana made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle, but she chose that moment to scrape butter on her toast with unnecessary vigor.

Darcy shot both his wife and his sister a look, though neither woman could mistake the slight quirk of his mouth. Since healing—or more accurately, grudgingly patching—the rift between him and his aunt he had done his best to pretend respect for her, likely as a way to atone for the many invectives he had inveighed against her in the first year of his marriage. Despite this, on occasion even he found it difficult to maintain such a façade of filial piety.

Particularly when Lady Catherine inquired, as she condescended to do every chance she got, whether by letter or in person, when “the obstinate gel would fulfill her duty as mistress of Pemberley.”

“It is strange that she should ask so often,” Elizabeth said as she looked over the letter herself later. They sat in Darcy’s study, him at his desk, her lounging in the window seat in a position the letter’s author would not hesitate to label as hoydenish. “She hasn’t exactly made it a secret that the sanctity of Pemberley has been polluted by the presence of myself and the visits from my aunt and uncle Gardiner.”

“And from your father,” Darcy added absently, intent on reviewing his accounts. “And your sister Kitty.”

A moment later he realized how that must have sounded, and looked up to see Elizabeth watching him with a frown.

“I didn’t—” he stammered, warm with embarrassment. “I did not mean that I think they also pollute Pemberley—not that your aunt and uncle do, either, I don’t know why I said also—they are lovely people and it is always a pleasure to have them visit, you know I find them to be very sensible, very kind people—”

At the start of this speech Elizabeth’s lip had begun to quiver; by this point she could contain herself no longer, and laughed aloud. 

“I know what you meant! I was only teasing.” She looked down again at Lady Catherine’s letter. “It is so odd! She must hold in great importance the production of an heir, to ignore the fact that he would be half a Bennet.” She looked over at Darcy once more, her eyes twinkling. “Shall I write back to tell her the true state of affairs?”

Darcy snorted. “I doubt she would survive such a forthright explanation.”

“True.” Elizabeth said, refolding the letter and tossing it onto Darcy’s desk. “I suppose time will suggest it to her eventually. Georgiana is eager to be a mother; soon she will marry and have a child of her own, and you shall name him heir, and Lady Catherine, my mother, and half of Derbyshire will collectively express their shock, outrage, and confusion, followed by a sound criticism of my failure to do what is, of course, the only thing that makes a wife useful.”

“Yes, dear,” Darcy said, shutting his account book and looking up. “But as much as I look forward to such a chaotic sequence of events, I do hope you aren’t planning on sending away my sister anytime soon. Between the two of you, Mrs Annesley, and Mrs Reynolds, I’ve grown quite used to being surrounded by women.”

“How very rakish of you, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth said, eyes sparkling again. “Such language could hardly be expected to come from the nephew of so illustrious a personage as Lady Catherine de Bourgh! How’d she shun you for it if she heard you!”

“Good,” he said bluntly, rising. “Now if you do not wish to shun me yourself, shall we go for a walk? It is not too cold out and I could do with a bit of fresh air.”

.^.

“Does Mrs Bingley know?” asked Darcy after a few minutes’ silent perambulation.

Elizabeth nodded. “I told her when we first met following our wedding. She told me what an excellent job Mr Bingley does in keeping her satisfied, then asked if you did the same for me.”

She snuck a sideways look at Darcy, who looked vaguely pink around the ears.

“Ah” was all he said.

“You asked,” she reminded him.

“I asked if your sister knew,” he replied, looking disgruntled. “I did not need to know about Bingley’s…er…personal performance.” He waited for her to stop laughing at him, then asked, “What did your sister say when you told her?”

He sounded so carefully nonchalant, but she knew him well enough to detect the undercurrent of anxiety.

“She admitted it was a rather unusual sort of marriage,” Elizabeth said, “but that there is nothing wrong with it if you and I are in agreement about it.”

Darcy looked relieved. “Bingley said something similar,” he said, “though at first he wondered if he ought to do the same.”

It was a mark of how comfortable they had grown that Elizabeth could take this opportunity to tease him for his influence over his friend. As this was a point for which there was much evidence, it was some time before they returned to the topic at hand.

“I did tell him that purposely abstaining is not the same thing as having no interest,” Darcy said, “which was a great relief to him, I think. He did not have to feel guilty for his own actions or pity me for my lack of them. And…”

They had reached the brook. He stopped and, turning to face Elizabeth, took both of her hands in his.

“I do not think I have ever said this officially,” he said, “but I am very grateful for how well you have understood me on this. It was something I had always feared having to tell my wife, and I must thank you for how you have accommodated me. It is a sacrifice for any spouse—”

“William,” she interrupted gently, smiling, “there is no sacrifice here. There is more to a marriage than how its members spend their nights. Besides,” she added, her smile crooking, “it is not as if I receive no pleasure at all. There are other ways, you know!” 

He turned pink again, and this time when she was done laughing they moved on to other subjects.


End file.
